Conventionally, electrodes are attached to a patient's skin and used for detecting electrical impulses in a patient. These electrical impulses may be used, for example, to produce an electrocardiogram (ECG).
These conventional electrodes have wired connections extending from the electrode a receiving device. The electrical signal received by the electrode is sent along a wire and is then amplified and read by the receiving device. Thus, while an ECG is being taken, the patient must remain physically connected to the monitoring device.
The use of wired connections means that the electrode may become unplugged due to patient or other movement. Also, having wired connections tethers a patient to a particular piece of machinery, limiting patient mobility or requiring suspending detection using the electrodes if the patient is moved away from the receiving device. This can be an issue when transporting the patient, particularly in transition between an ambulance and a healthcare facility, or indeed within a healthcare facility.
There is also an issue with patient compliance wearing wired electrodes, as this causes discomfort and unease to the patient. A lack of compliance with electrode monitoring (e.g., disconnecting the wire from the electrode by the patient) means a break in monitoring and possible error or alert messages being sent to the medical staff. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a solution for performing an ECG that addresses the issues presented by requiring a wired connection.
This background information is provided to reveal information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance to the present invention. No admission is necessarily intended, nor should be construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art against the present invention.